Why Order an EMG Test?

[TomTraubertsBros]

I've seen a lot of talk about them, and I gather that oftentimes they are to rule out ALS or other things. But what are the reasons a neuro would go that route? I've heard they are expensive and many BFS suffers have never had them. I can understand the relief that would come with a clean EMG, but I doubt many neuros would order them unless there was good reason. Thanks in advance.

 

[DesertKnight]

I've decided against having one. When this all started two and a half months ago I felt like I couldn't get one soon enough. That's when my anxiety was at its peak and I was still self-diagnosing thanks to Dr. Google. Once I started treatment for my anxiety and the fog of irrationality lifted I no longer felt I needed an EMG. When I was terrified in the beginning I was positive I had a fatal disease. Now I clearly see that my symptoms are not indicative of that. If I were to develop TRUE weakness I would go ahead and have one. For now though, I'm content. ~Frances

 

[DesertKnight]

Yep, I agree with the above post. I started having severe nerve pain in my left leg awhile back and my specialist recommended I see a neurologist and have an EMG to rule out nerve entrapment. In the meantime, however, my chiropractor started treating me for pirifomis syndrome and my pain subsided by 95%. That's why I didn't proceed with the EMG. I'm pretty sure my generalized twitching isn't caused by nerve entrapment though, considering I do it from head to toe and there is no particular place I twitch more than another.

 

[christinasgirl123]

I guess some neuros just do it to calm down their patients, because they are completely freaking out of anxiety. I had 2 done in hospital (when I goe there I cpuld hardly walk from pain and stiffness..), but theywere clean. My new neuro (has own practice) says that there is no reason at all to stick a needle somewhere into someone who's just twitching. When I had done the EMG by the EMG-specialist in hospital, another neuro came in and was talking with his colleague about my case. When I told him about my ALS fear he got eyes as big as golfballs from surprise, and told me he is twitching all the time and never had the exigency to be tortured with needles because of that...btw, he has lots of ALS patients as they are kind of spezialised there...